CG-AR - Die cutting

[dinomaskot]

Ive got UCJV330 but reallizing that i need a separate cutter for productivity since this one cuts really slow..
I need it only for die cutting.
CG-AR fits my current budget, even tough i really like die cutting channel on Graphtecs.
Toughts?

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Mimaki cutters are pretty well integrated into RasterLink, so cut and scan is really nice. The CG-AR is a bit cheaper feeling than the nicer Graphtec stuff, but overall a totally capable vinyl cutter for the price.

 

[Goatshaver]

If you plan of using a different RIP like Onyx, Flexi, etc... you can look into other cutter brands, but if you plan on staying with Rasterlink, it may be worth it to stay in the Mimaki sphere.

I run Onyx for my Epson and Graphtech cutter, but Onyx doesn't really support the UCJV330 fully yet, and to setup a job with the marks and cut on that cutter is a lot more steps than if I could print and cut solely through Onyx.

 

[dinomaskot]

I dont mind the rasterlink.. I would really love to be able to run at high speeds and avoid husle of replacing cutting strips and expensive knives
Does worn cutstrip affects kisscut, diecut or both?

 

[DL Signs]

We use Mimaki equipment here...
If you're looking for one versatile enough for both kiss cutting and die cutting, go for the FX series. The SR & AR series are pretty low grade, mostly plastic. One we have is an SR-III, it's a cheap utility machine, kiss cuts good, but it's not very robust. Good for a backup, or just as a 2nd machine. The AR series is the next step up, still a lot of plastic where you don't want it to be.

My main one is an old FX series, it's built like a tank, over 18 years old, still accurate, and still kicks butt. The FX has dual cutting strips and blade holder locations, the 2nd ones are just for die cutting. I don't do much die cutting, but when I do it's so nice to not tear up cutting strips & blades. Only parts ever purchased for it were blades, blade holders, a couple of cutting strip replacements, and one set of replacement rollers... In 18 years! They're well worth the added cost in my opinion. If you wanna stay Mimaki, this is their best.

 

[dinomaskot]

We use Mimaki equipment here...
If you're looking for one versatile enough for both kiss cutting and die cutting, go for the FX series. The SR & AR series are pretty low grade, mostly plastic. One we have is an SR-III, it's a cheap utility machine, kiss cuts good, but it's not very robust. Good for a backup, or just as a 2nd machine. The AR series is the next step up, still a lot of plastic where you don't want it to be.

My main one is an old FX series, it's built like a tank, over 18 years old, still accurate, and still kicks butt. The FX has dual cutting strips and blade holder locations, the 2nd ones are just for die cutting. I don't do much die cutting, but when I do it's so nice to not tear up cutting strips & blades. Only parts ever purchased for it were blades, blade holders, a couple of cutting strip replacements, and one set of replacement rollers... In 18 years! They're well worth the added cost in my opinion. If you wanna stay Mimaki, this is their best.

Thanks. Didn't know that FX has die cut strip.. I was initially looking into graphtec for that, but staying in rasterlink with ID cut would be really nice.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Most cutters have an ID cut system, as they just use the mark reader to scan the psuedo-barcodes, but the Mimaki stuff meshes nicely with Rasterlink.

 

[dinomaskot]

Most cutters have an ID cut system, as they just use the mark reader to scan the psuedo-barcodes, but the Mimaki stuff meshes nicely with Rasterlink.

I know.. but i was talking specifically about mimakis “id cut”.. since i only use rasterlink, and adding marks manually would be just an extra step..
Do you think FX is as good of a cutter as graphtec FC9000? Especially for diecutting?

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

The cg-ar is nice for budget, but the fx is the way to go if you have the cash.

 

[Rhyno]

I’ve used the CG-AR for die cutting, and honestly, it’s a solid option if you're on a budget. It’s not as fancy as the Graphtecs with the die-cutting channel, which I agree is a great feature, but for straightforward jobs, it works just fine. If you’re not doing super complex cuts or crazy high volumes, it should handle what you need without any major issues.